Stay with me
by The Mourner's Mistress
Summary: Dr. Edward Cullen meets Bella Swan, a patient with severe skin cancer. He's immediately intrigued by this charming young lady, especially when she mentions how his girlfriend just went in the on-call room with his brother.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – Well, hello there**

**Edward's POV**

Five hours of surgery. Five hours of concentrating while someone's life is in your hands, literally. But let me tell you, there's no bigger kick in life than a successful surgery. I can't describe the satisfaction I feel when I get to tell family, friends or even lovers of the person laying on my table, that he or she is going to live.

"Stop dreaming, Eddie. You better concentrate on saving lives, you know.", Jasper, my brother, states grinning, while handing his chart to one of the nurses.

I hardly hit his arm, "My shift is over, know-it-all. I'm just on my way to Rosalie."

"Be careful bro, these", he holds his hands in front of me with a smug smile, "are precious. By the way, I think dad won't like it if he finds you two in the on-call room again."

"That only happened once." He raises his eyebrows at me. "Ok, twice.", I add laughing and walk away, to the elevator. It's kind of funny how almost whole my family works in this hospital. My dad, who is the chief of surgery, and my brothers and me. All three of us are surgeons, even though Emmett, the youngest, is still a resident. But he'll make it, if he just starts paying a little more attention to studying, instead of screwing around. He already has quite a reputation here, and doesn't even officially works here yet. Only my mother, without a doubt the sweetest human being in this world, has no official status here, but everyone still knows her, because of the delicious cupcakes she sometimes brings by.

Automatically I walk straight to the nurses' station, where I always find my Rosalie. I immediately smile as charming as possible, even though I can't really see if she's there. "Oh, nurse. I'm feeling a little bit sick. Can you help me?"

"Well, that's unfortunate and no, I can't." That's not Rosalie's voice. I lean over the counter only to find a brunette with a pale skin, searching in some boxes.

"Excuse me, miss? May I ask who you are and what you're doing?"

She jumps up with a beautiful blush on her cheeks, as if she just realized she got caught. "I wasn't stealing anything, you know. I'm just searching some batteries for my remote. Now the TV in my room is stuck on Oprah and I don't know how long I can handle her whining about life."

I can't help but chuckle and reach out my hand. "Dr. Cullen, Edward. And you are..?"

She takes my hand. "Bella, just Bella."

"Well, hello Bella, just Bella.", I asnwer smiling, "What are you in here for?"

"I like the food.", she says sarcastically, with a playful smile, "So I faked a seizure and got myself a nice room. This place is way better than a hotel." I'm beginning to worry whether she shouldn't be on the fifth floor – where they put the mentally ill. "Skin cancer. Stage IV.", she explains silently.

Shit. "That.."

"Sucks.", she adds with a smile, "It surprises me that you didn't figure that out by yourself, since this floor is devoted to oncology. Not that smart for a doctor, are you?"

"Well, I.." Damn it. She's right.

"But it would be a lot less bad if I had something decent to watch."

"You do know you can change the channel without a remote, right?", I ask kindly- and a little playful -, "There are these handy buttons on the TV itself." Ha!

"No shit, Sherlock. It's just.." And then she mumbles something I can't understand.

"Just ..what?"

She sighs and looks away, while stubbornly crossing her arms. "I can't reach them", she states with dislike, "And don't you dare laughing." But because of the childish look on her face- it's kind of cute -, I can't help myself. "I swear, I will kick your ass. You might be some hot-shot doctor, but I'm sick. I can get away with anything."

"I apologize, miss Bella.", I chuckle, "Can I make it up to you by changing the channel for you?"

She seems to doubt it for a second, but then gives in with a smug smile. "Fine.", she sighs and walks to room the room closest to the nurses-station. Don't know why, but I tell myself to remember it. She immediately goes sit on her bed, revealing how tired she's feeling, and points at the TV where indeed Oprah is rambling on about rights or something.

"Which do you wish, miss Bella?"

"Oh. Ehrm. Put it on channel 4." I do as she says and a romantic movie pops up. "Perfect.", she says satisfied and lays down.

"Really?", I ask, while eying the TV once more.

"What? I'm a romantic.", she grins, "It's too bad they don't have popcorn here."

She must be crazy. "I'll try to mention it to the chief." Well, I think Dad will be looking at me weirdly when I say that.

"Then immediately ask if they can add gummy bears to the menu. Did you know even the gift-shop here doesn't sell them?", she informs with disbelieve.

"No, I did not.", I chuckle, "The horror."

"I know, right.", she obviously ignores my sarcasm, "But, what brings you here Dr. Cullen? Haven't seen you around here often enough, so this can't be your floor."

"No, it's not actually. I'm a surgeon, I was just visiting my girlfriend, Rosalie." Somehow the look on her face immediately changes, in a way it makes me nervous.

"Rosalie. As in the nurse?", she asks confused.

"Yes. Is she that horrible to you?", I ask in response to her worried look.

"No. It's not that, she really kind, I just thought..", then she stops talking and looks away. This is kind of freaking me out.

"Thought what?" Whatever she's hiding about my girlfriend, I deserve to know it, right?

"I-.. I really shouldn't."

"Bella, please tell me what's wrong." I don't care I'm practically begging to a stranger.

"There's this handsome guy, black hair. He comes here often. I.. They just went in that room together.", she points at the on-call room, across the nurses' station. She shakes her head. "I'm so sorry.", she whispers.

For a second, I'm frozen. But then I rush the right room. I need to know if she's telling the truth, if Rosalie is really cheating on me with some guy. Without knocking I open the door to find not only Rosalie, but also Emmett naked. My brother and my girlfriend. Having sex.

"Oh my god, Edward!", Rosalie yells, after which Emmett immediately looks at me as well. He immediately pulls one of the blankets over them, as if they try to hide what I just saw. "It's not what it looks like." I turn around again, too nauseous to see them like that any longer.

**Note: Please hit that review-button. I'd like to know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Hi… High**

**Edward's POV.**

I feel sick. No, furious. My own fucking brother with my girlfriend. Why can't I get the bloody image out of my head? I look at my cellphone laying on the wooden nightstand._ 4:21._ No missed calls. You'd think she would call to say.. something. Anything. Tiredly I get out of bed, knowing this will be a sleepless night and since my alarm clock would be waking me in about an hour a half, it has no use to waist more time trying to sleep. I drag myself to the kitchen, switch on my modern and overprized cappuccino-machine and allow myself to sit down again. _Alright, clear your mind Eddie_., I tell myself calmly, but then that same image flashes before my eyes again, making my stomach – and my heart – wither.

What the hell am I supposed to do know? Just go to work tomorrow and act like nothing happened? Can't really do that after my reaction yesterday. I painfully let my finger slide over the bruises on my hand. Damn it. Really shouldn't have done that. But he deserved it. First I just wanted to run, away from the whole damn situation, but then the anger took over and forced me to stop and turn around, right in time to see Emmett was following me, while still putting on his scrubs on.

"Dude, let me explain.", he said panicky, but before I knew it my fist was planted in his face. And damn it, his skull is hard. But I must admit, seeing he had a bloody nose, did help a bit. Then Rosalie joined us, still with that shocked look on her face and I left. God, I hate her. But love her as well. I can't even remember how all of this freaking started. It feels like, just like that, everything changed. But it didn't. _She_ told me. _Bella_. Without her I probably still wouldn't have known about it. Should I be thankful?

After an hour or so, I decide I might as well already take a shower and go to work, though I'm pretty sure I can expect one very angry Carlisle when I arrive. And I was right, from the moment I enter the hospital – passing by the staring eyes of the gossiping nurses – Carlisle is standing in front of me with that disappointed look in his eyes. Damn it. Anger I can deal with, disappointment, not so much.

"Can you explain why your brother came home with a broken nose last night?", he firmly asks with his arms crossed. Broken, bloody brilliant. I should have foreseen that mom would discover, she's like a detective when it comes to things like that. And since Emmett lost all his money on.. his many girlfriends, he now has to live with my parents again.

"Well.."

"Edward.", he says strictly, "Your mother is very worried. And your hand doesn't lie." He grabs my arm and holds the undeniable bruises on my wrist in front of my eyes. "That was very irresponsible of you young man. Your mother and I-"

"He slept with Rosalie.", I cut him off. That bastard is going to be the victim in this situation, after all he slept with **my **girlfriend.

"He what?"

"Slept with Rosalie.", I repeat once more. And suddenly his anger seems the change.

"Oh. Alright then.", he turns around calmly and walks to the counter. "But. I'm canceling all of your surgeries today. You're in no state to be operating, especially with that hand."

"But Dad." Operating is just the distraction I need and now even that won't get my mind of things.

"No but. Go home son, clear your mind and come back tomorrow. Oh, and you're coming for dinner Sunday. Your mom is cooking for the whole family." And with that, he walks away, to his office. Just when I want to turn around and go home as well, my eyes fall on a basket filled with small colored bags. Gummibears, and immediately I think off the crazy patient of who I first thought she was a thieve. No way. It's got to be some sort of hint right? I subtly grab some of the candy and put in my pocket, while walking towards the elevator.

Yet then I realize, Rosalie. Will she be there? I'm not in the mood to see her right now. It would only remind me of the image haunting me all night. When the elevator doors open I press myself against the wall, like I'm in a James Bond-movie. Slowly I step forward, so I can peek around the corner and see whether Rosalie is there. No sign of her. Assuming it is safe, but taking no risk, I keep pressing myself against the wall and try to get to the room closest to the nurses' station, like I'm a ninja. The James Bond-theme song now actually is playing in my head.

When I enter the room – mission successful -, I immediately see Bella who's looking at the tv, which appears to be off. But the smile on her face tells me there's something about it that apparently must be very funny.

"Heeey, it's doctor handsome.", she says with a wide grin, when she finally notices my presence. And then her attention is drawn to the tv again.

"Are you okay?", I ask a little insecure – you never know, she might be a psycho-killer – while taking a seat on the uncomfortable chair next to her bed.

"I'm great.", she says laughing, "Your people apparently like torturing me and decided they needed another biopsy, which really hurts by the way." She now is confusingly pointing at me, almost poking her finger in my eye. For a few seconds she stops talking and looks at me unfocused. "What was I talking about again?"

"Something about biopsy and that it hurts.", I answer grinning. Somehow this woman made me laugh while I feel like crap. Ok, she's a bit high, so she probably doesn't realize it herself.

Suddenly she's pointing at me again, now actually hitting my eye. "Oh right! So I had the biopsy-thingy, but then I couldn't move, like at all because it hurt like hell, so that nice nurse with the freaky red lipstick gave me some morphine."

"Oh really?", I ask ironically, while I try to look serious, though I'm pretty sure I'm failing miserably at it.

"I love morphine.", she murmurs and lets herself fall onto her pillow again. "So handsome, how did the drama of yesterday end?"

"I don't really think it's appropriate for a doctor to tell that to his patient."

"C'mon. You owe me.", she says, while rolling her eyes.

Now I'm the one looking at her confused. "I.. owe you?"

"Yes.", she states firmly.

"Why?"

"Well.. haven't really figured out that part yet. But I'll think about it while you tell me what happened."

I shake my head, again subtly laughing. She's crazy, no doubt about it anymore. But what can it hurt, she'll be forgotten everything by tomorrow. "Did you see I kicked his ass?", I start, not even trying to hide my smug smile.

"Yeah. He started crying when you were gone."

Say what? "Wait.. Emmett cried?", I ask with disbelieve. She strongly nods and looks me smiling in the eyes. "Have to say that does makes me feel better."

She chuckles, "Well, Blondie didn't think it was that amusing. She really was freaking out you know. Have you talked to her yet?" I haven't even thought of a decent answer to give when she continues. "So that's a no. You should though."

"Why?", I ask kind of annoyed, "She slept with someone else, she should be the one to come to me, not the other way around."

"I don't know. It's just what you do. Or you work things out, or you break up." Suddenly she focusing on my shirt, like something weird is crawling over it.

After a few seconds, I break the silence. "What's wrong?"

"You have weird nipples.", she states after a while, "Did you know that?"

"Ok, I'm leaving now.", I state chuckling and stand up, but from the moment I put my hand in my pocket, I remember what originally brought me here. "Before I forget,", I say and give her one of the little bags with gummiebears. Immediately she smiles, as her eyes seem to lid up.

"You now officially are my hero. Thank you, handsome.", she says kindly, while trying to open it, "But I expect an update on the relation-thingy. I'm so bored here, you've got to give me something."

I sigh, "Deal. See you soon miss Bella." I try my best to sound charming, but all her attention stays drawn to the candy, as I leave the room.

**AN:** **Thank you guys so much for your amazingly sweet reviews. I'm really flattered that some of you are following this story. :) Chapter 2, please tell me what you think.**

**There probably will be some mistakes in this chapter, concerning the medical thingies, but I hope you will forgive me.**

**Love, MM. **


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